A family shopping trip at a Walmart store in the United States descended into chaos when a 16-year-old boy was wrestled to the ground and placed in handcuffs over an alleged theft of items worth just five dollars.
Chaotic Scene as Teenager Detained
The incident occurred on November 30 at a Walmart in Liberty, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. Jeremiah Wortuba, aged 16, was shopping with his family, including his parents Patrick and Vaquandra, when he was accused of failing to pay for peppermint sticks and a container of sweet tea at a self-checkout.
Footage shared later on TikTok captured the distressing moments. Vaquandra Wortuba is heard pleading with a police officer to "calm down" and explain the situation as he escorts her son through the store. Other family members screamed as Jeremiah appeared to resist the officer's grip, leading the officer to drag the teenager to the floor and apply handcuffs.
"Oh my God," Vaquandra repeated, before insisting to the officer: "I have a receipt. The lady helped him scan. We put stuff back." Her voice shaking, she called for her husband, Patrick, explaining, "They just slammed Jeremiah down to the floor."
Family's Frantic Attempts to Provide Proof
As the officer continued to lead the handcuffed teen away, the family vehemently protested the accusation. One relative yelled, "I scanned everything in my f***ing basket. I got the receipt on my f***ing phone," while another shouted, "You're arresting the wrong person!"
The family directed their anger at both the officer and a Walmart anti-theft team member, vowing to prove the allegation was a mistake. According to a Walmart spokesperson who later spoke to local media, staff examined the family's shopping and found the $5 worth of unpaid items in their cart.
In further footage, Vaquandra tried to explain the situation was a misunderstanding, stating the children were unaware they were being arrested. "These are kids," she pleaded. When an anti-theft worker claimed she saw Jeremiah, his brother Isaiah, and their cousins stealing, the family demanded she identify which specific individual was responsible.
Apology and Vows of Accountability
The discrepancy was ultimately resolved at the store. Walmart decided not to press charges, and Jeremiah was uncuffed and released. "At this point I was so angry, I said 'Take all of this stuff, take it back, return it all'," Vaquandra told reporters.
The family attributed the error to confusion at the self-checkout, suggesting an item was placed in the cart by someone who believed it had already been scanned. Vaquandra reported the incident to Walmart's corporate office and claims to have received an apology, with the complaint being escalated to the company's ethics team.
On social media, Patrick Wortuba vowed to hold both the Walmart staff and the Kansas City police officers involved accountable for their actions. The Kansas City Police Department stated in a comment to local media that two boys had been handcuffed for resisting officers.
